Electric watches



y 25, 1965 J. G. H. LAVIOLETTE 18 ELECTRIC WATCHES Filed Nov. 16, 1962 4Sheets-Sheet 1 -UWK K INVENTOR= 75w azmszmmuumnr:

4 TTORNE Y8 May 25, 1965 Filed NOV. 16, 1962 J. G. H. LAVIOLETTEELECTRIC WATCHES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 a Via/e #e/ May 25, 1965 J. H.LAWOLETTE 3,184,910

ELECTRIC WATCHES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 16, 1962 ATTORNEYS May 1965J. a. H. LAVIOLETTEQ 3,184,910

ELECTRIC WATCHES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. is, 1962 IN VENT 0R JEAN650K558 HENRI MV/OlfiTE BK'M Kuwait:

A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,184,910 ELECTRIC WATCHES Jean GeorgesHenri Laviolettc, Besancon, France, assignor to Lip Societe Anonymedlllorlogcrie, Besancorn Palente, Doubs, France, a corporation of FranceFiled Nov. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 233,134 Claims priority, appiicationFrance, .inly ill, i962, 9ti3,535 7 Claims. (Cl. sa -4s This inventionrelates in general to electric watches and has specific reference to aWrist type electric watch comprising notably a swinging device of whichthe oscillation is sustained by an electromagnetic winding energizedfrom a dry or storage battery and adapted to control on the one hand theenergization of said winding by means of a contact member and on theother hand the wheelwork through a drive wheel, a device for limitingthe oscillation amplitude of said swinging device, and a hand settingmechanism.

In general, electric watches now marketed by the clock-making industryhave a very complicated structure accounting for their relatively highcost; their dimensions are generally greater than those of purelymechanical watches; finally, their chronometrical quality andreliability are often objectionable. All these inconveniences limitconsiderably the marketability of these watches.

It is an essential object of this invention to provide an electric watchparticularly simple to manufacture and therefore of a relatively lowcost, which is also characterized by reduced overall dimensions Whilebeing highly reliable and having a high degree of chronometrical pre-The watch according to this invention is remarkable notably in that theswinging mechanism comprises a rotor-forming hairspring balance Wheelcooperating with a fixed coil generating a magnetic field, a cam mountedon the arbor of said balance wheel and co-acting with said contactmember, and a disc rigid with said arbor and cooperating on the one handwith said drive Wheel and on the other hand with said amplitude limiter.

According to another feature characterizing this invention the aforesaidbalance wheel comprises a circular armature of high magneticpermeability metal, which carries a horn projecting from the outerperiphery of said armature and co-acting with an adjustable shoe or likemember constituting the pole piece of said coil.

The registering faces of said horn and shoe have a part-cylindricalcontour concentric to said armature.

This construction is advantageous in that it provides a very smallmagnetic gap and the possibility of adjusting the shoe position permitsa particularly accurate setting of this magnetic gap and results in asubstantial improvement in the eficiency of the drawing system.

According to a further feature of this invention the aforesaid camcarries a pin adapted to engage an elastic wire constituting the contactmember; this cam is mounted with a snug fit on said arbor, whereby itcan be adjusted angularly in relation to said disc.

With this specific construction comprising separate members forcontrolling the electric circuit on the one hand and the mechanism onthe other hand it is a simple matter to adjust theisochronism of thewatch as the cam can be set angularly relative to the dead point of thehair- 7 spring by rotating the cam more or less about its arbor.

3,184,910 Patented May 25, 1965 gage the drive wheel and another pinco-acting with the amplitude limiter, the relative arrangement of thesepins being such that they can engage their companion memberssimultaneously.

The angular setting of the cam on the balance arbor is selected with aview to avoid any contact between the aforesaid other pin and theelastic wire of the amplitude limiter only when the stop lever locks thedisc through the anchor. in fact, the disc pins engage their companionmembers (anchor and star wheel) through a relatively wide angle and itis only in the intermediate portion of this angle that no electriccontact occurs.

It is a complementary feature of this invention to provide an electricwatch construction of the type broadly set forth hereinabove wherein theamplitude limiter consists of a flat lock member formed on the one handwith a fork having its arms disposed on either side of said other pincarried by said disc for cooperating therewith, and on the other handwith a notch adapted to coact with magnetic locking means for holdingsaid lock member in a position wherein said fork engages said other pin.

By mounting on a common disc the aforesaid first pin co-operating withsaid drive wheel and the aforesaid other pin co-acting with theamplitude limiter, on the one hand, and by so positioning said pins thatthey become operative simultaneously on the other hand, the amplitudelimiter can act not only as normally contemplated for limiting thebalance oscillation but also as a locking device. This specific mountingis not only safer in operation but permits a substantial reduction inthe over-all dimensions of the device as compared with known lockingdevices acting directly upon the drive wheel.

Moreover, the relative positions of the contact control cam and of thepin-carrying disc provides an additional feature in that during thelocking periods the circuit for energizing the electromagnetic Windingis open, Whereby the battery is isolated from the Winding during theactuation of the hand setting mechanism.

Finally, providing a flat locking member constitutes a markedimprovement over hitherto known locking system consisting generally of abent plate.

In addition, the aforesaid other notch of this lock member has its sideedges disposed on either side of a stationary magnetic pin, so that whenthe lock member is not carried along by the balance Wheel it engagessaid pin with one or the other edges of said notch.

With this arrangement a single magnetic pin is used instead of two, thussaving additional space.

The general arrangement according to this invention is also advantageousin that the battery can be housed within the circular contour of thewatch case without projecting from the thickness or the diameterthereof, and that a round clockwork can be designed and constructed.

This invention also contemplates the different applications of thecomponent elements of the clockwork constituting the subject'matter ofthis invention, these elements being taken separately or in combination.

Other features and advantages of this invention will appear as thefollowing description proceeds with reference to the accompanyingdrawings illustrating by way of example a typical form of embodiment ofthe invention. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a general circuit diagram of an electric watch constructedaccording to the teachings of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic illustration of the electric circuit with itscontrol members;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing on a larger scale with partsbroken away a typical embodiment of the assembly comprising thehairspring balance wheel, the drive wheel, the amplitude limitinglocking device and the contact member;

FIGURE 4 is a section taken upon the line A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H ofFIGURE 6;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view showing the complete clockwork as seen from thebridge side;

FIGURE 6 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 5 and showing a clockworkfrom which the balance wheel, the balance bridge, the battery, thewheelwork bridge and the third wheel have been removed; and

FIGURE 7 shows the complete wheelwork as seen from the dial side.

According to a general principle common to many types of electricwatches (except the so-called tuningfork motion types), the watchaccording to this invention comprises a power or driving system derivingits power from a source of current and comprising a rotor consisting ofthe swinging hair-spring-type balance-wheel and a stator consisting ofan electromagnetic circuit connected to said source of current.According to its angu lar position the rotor controls the opening orclosing of the stator energizing circuit. The rotor oscillations arecounted by a soca1led drive wheel actuating the wheelwork and the hands.Associated with the rotor is an amplitude lirnitin device serving thepurpose of preventing the rotor amplitude from exceeding 360 when asudden impulse is applied to the watch. Finally a hand setting mechanismis incorporated in the watch.

FIGURE 1 illustrates schematically the electric circuit of the watchconstituting the subjcct-matter of this invention. The circuit comprisesa dry or storage battery 1 having its positive terminal earthed orgrounded and its negative terminal connected through conductors 2 and 6to a terminal 7 of a coil winding 8 having its other terminal 9 alsoearthed. Between conductors 2 and 6 a movable contact arm 4 isinterposed which is constantly connected to a terminal 3 of conductor 2and intermittently to another terminal 5 of conductor 6. A diode it)connected across the terminals of winding 8 protects the winding fromcountercurrents :due to the breaking of the energizing circuit and tothe coil-winding self-induction. This diode I0 is also useful forrecovering one fraction of the self-induction current, thereby improvingthe electrical efficiency of the power system.

In the practical emboidment illustrated in FIGURE 2 the stator comprisesa single coil winding 8 of thin insulated copper wire wound on a core 11of high magnetic permeability metal. This core has one end associatedwith a shoe l2 constituting a pole piece formed with a part-cylindricalface 13 concentric to the rotor axis. The coil 8 is earthed by a weld 9and connected to the aforesaid conductor 6 through an insulated terminal7.

The rotor consists of a movable armature i4 constituting a balancedwheel of circular configuration made from high magnetic permeabilitymetal. This armature is solid with the balance wheel hub carried in turnby a swinging arbor 15. This armature 14 carries on its outer peripherya horn 16 projecting therefrom and adapted to cooperate with the statorshoe 12. This horn in is bound by a part-cylindrical face 17 adapted,during the balance wheel oscillation, to register with the correspondingpartcylindrical face 13 of the shoe. This cylindrical face 17, like theface 13 of the shoe, is concentric to the arbor of the movable armatureand the gap left between these two faces 17 and 13 is extremely small.Holes having a greater diameter than the shank of the fixation screwsengaged therethrough are formed in the shoe 12, so that the aforesaidgap may be adjusted by simply changing the shoe position.

The movable contact arm d consists of a flexible conducting wire carriedby an adjustable block 3 to which it is electrically connected. Theterminal 5 connected to conductor 6 consists of a knife-edge or likemember mounted on a movable regulating lever 18 adjustable by rotatingabout its axis 19. A member 20 (FIGURE 2) solid with the balance wheeland to be described hereinafter is adapted, during each balance wheelalternation, to produce the elastic deformation of wire 4 and cause sameto contact the knife edge 5. Thus, each time the balance wheeloscillates in the direction of the arrow F the wire 4 engages the knifeedge 5, thus closing the electric circuit. The closing moment isselected to take place just when the horn I6 is in close proximity ofshoe 12 but before it registers therewith; then the electromagnetic pullapplies an impulse to the balance and as the latter continues itsswinging movement it releases the wire so that the latter resumes itsinitial position by inherent elasticity and opens the contact.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the swinging mechanismmounted on the arbor 15 comprises, in addition to the balance wheel lidwith a return hairspring 21, a cam 22 which is a snug fit on the arbor15 and carries a ruby pin or stud co-acting with the flexible wire 4 inthe manner set forth hereinabove and a disc 23 rigid with the arbor 15and carrying in turn an anchor pin 24 and a drive pin 25. This disc 23carries on its lower face a projecting peripheral flange or shoulder 26in which a notch 27 is formed.

As the cam 22 is a snug fit on arbor 15 it is a simple matter to adjustthe beginning of the impulse in relation to the dead point of thehairspring 21, and therefore the isochronism of the watch, by properlyselecting its angular position on said arbor.

The balance oscillations are counted by means of a magnetic clockworkconsisting of a star Wheel or drive wheel 28 cooperating with the drivepin 25 mounted on disc 23. Upon each alternation of the balance the pin25 carries along the star wheel 28 driving in turn a seconds wheel 31driving a seconds hand 31. A magnetic positioning pin 29 mounted in afixed position on the plate is adapted to attract and retain the nearesttooth in order constantly to keep the star wheel 28 in a well-definedposition. FIGURE 3 shows a center or minute wheel 46 driving minute hand46', and an hour wheel 51 driving hour hand 51; said seconds wheel 31,minute wheel 46 and hours wheel 51 form part of the wheelwork.

Referring to FIGURE 4 it will be seen that the drive wheel 28 is rigidwith a pinion 3t! meshing with the seconds wheel 31 disposed centrallyof the clockwork. This seconds wheel 31 is disposed in the bottom of arecess 32 formed in a plate 33 at a relatively low lever so as to liebeneath the battery 1 mounted with a certain inclination with respect tothe plane perpendicular to the general direction of the main wheelworkaxes. It will be noted that this specific arrangement of the secondwheel departs from conventional arrangements wherein this wheel isusually located near the top of the wheelwork, above the balance wheel.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, it will be seen that the amplitudelimiting device driven by the anchor pin 24 consists of a lock member 56mounted on a swinging pin 56'. This lock member 56 is cut from sheetmaterial and comprises a forked end portion 57 receiving between itsarms the anchor pin 24 and carrying in addition a finger 58 adapted toengage the notch 27formed in tne lower flange or shoulder 26 of disc 23.This lock member is also formed with a notch 5? engageable, when thehand setting mechanism is actuated, by locking means to be describedhereinafter, for holding the lock member and therefore the completemechanism against motion.

Moreover, the lock member 56 is also formed with an aperture (inreceiving between its side edges 2. fixed magnetic pin 66', so that whenthe lock member is not carried along by the balance wheel it engagessaid pin with one or the other side edges of its aperture. This mountingrequiring only one magnetic pin, as constructed with conventionalarrangements using two magnetic pins disposed on either side of the lockmember, constitutes an appreciable simplification.

In the exemplary form of embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 4, 6 and 7 ofthe drawings the hand setting mechanism comprises a conventional handsetting stem 61 actuating on the one hand a bell-crank lever 62controlling a hand setting mechanism of known type comprisingly notablya rocker 63, a ratchet spring 64 and a dog pinion 65 meshing with acorresponding intermediate pinion 66. A so-called stop lever 67 formedat one end with a finger-like projection 68 engageable in the notch 59of lock member 56 is rotatably driven about a pivot pin 69 by thewinding stem of which it engages the end portion 70 with a heel portion71.

The hand setting mechanism operates as follows:

Under normal conditions the stop lever 67 is held by the stem 61 in theposition wherein the finger 68 lies outside the notch 58 of lock member56. Thus, the lock member 56 can oscillate freely. When it is desired toset the hands, the stem 61 is pulled and its end portion 70 releases theheel portion of stop lever 67. Thus, the stop lever 67 urged by a spring72 attached thereto rotates about its pivot pin 69 and the finger 68engages the notch 59 of lock member 56, thus holding this member againstmotion. The position in which the lock member is held by the stop leveris such that the fork 57 engages the anchor pin 24 solid with disc 23,whereby the balance 14 is also held against motion. On the other hand,since the drive pin 25, in this position, projects between two teeth ofdrive wheel 28, as already explained hereinabove, the wheelwork is alsolocked against movement.

The pin 26 rotatably solid with the balance wheel 14 and adapted toactuate the contact wire 4 is so positioned on the arbor 15 that it doesnot contact the wire 4 when the balance wheel is locked by the lockmember. Under these conditions, the electric circuit for energizing thecoil 8 is always open when the balance 14 is locked during the handsetting operation. The notch 5 is so shaped that when the hand settingstem 61 and stop lever 67 are restored to their initial position thefinger 68 escapes from this notch and causes the lock member 56 torotate and thus re-start the balance Wheel through the anchor pin 24.

The relative arrangement of the difierent component elements of theelectric watch according to this invention is such that the main platecan be inclined to a substantial extent on the dial side, the same alsoapplying to the upper side of the bridges along the outer periphery.These marked inclinations permit of mounting the clockwork in watchcases having a very thin appearance, and also, of course, inconventional-type cases. More particularly, with this specificarrangement the circular or cylindrical battery can be housed within thecircular con tours of the clockwork without projecting more or less fromthe top or bottom face of the assembly.

On the other hand, the relative arrangement of the electrical componentelements (battery, contact, diode, etc.) is designed with a view togroup them on the same side of the main plate and Within a same sector(see FIG- URE 5). Obviously, electrical connections are greatlysimplified by this arrangement.

On the other hand, the diiierent component elements of the contactdevice, that is, the adjustable block 3 and the contact regulating lever18, are assembled on a detachable auxiliary plate secured on the mainplate by means of screws. This contact carrying auxiliary platecomprises two studs permitting its angular adjustment relative to thepivot axis of the balance wheel. This specific mounting of the contactplate is useful inter alia in that during the manufacture the contactelements can be prepared, adjusted and cleaned independently of theclockwork proper, before mounting them during the final assembly step.This mounting of the contact device on a detachable plate also permitsof simplifying the watch maintenance; in fact, the contact elements canbe removed without difficulty and without interfering with their initialadjustment, for cleaning purposes, or in the case of a generaldisassembling operation to avoid any damage thereto, or for substitutinga new contact device therefor. On the other hand, the positioning of thecontact-carrying plate by means of studs promotes the proper operationof the watch.

The source of current consisting of a single, substantially cylindricalbattery 1 having its positive terminal connected directly to the outercase may be placed as such in its cavity, without interposing anyinsulating element therebetwecn. The connection with the negativeterminal located centrally of this battery is obtained through theconductor 2 in the form of an elastic blade underlying the plate 33 andprojecting through the central portion of the battery-receiving cavity.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with apreferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications andvariations may be resort ed to without departing from the scope of theinvention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Suchmodifications and variations are considered to be within the purview andscope of the invention and appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An electric watch comprising indicator hands and at wheel work fordriving said hands, a drive wheel having a pinion for driving said wheelWork, an electromagnetic coil winding, 2. battery, an electric circuitfed by said battery and energizing said coil winding, a resilientcontact wire in said electric circuit, a hairspring balance wheelmounted on a rotatable arbor, a freely oscillating fiat lock member forlimiting the amplitude of oscillation of said balance wheel, said lockmember having a forked portion, a disc secured on said arbor, said disccarrying a drive pin for driving said drive wheel and an anchor pinengaging said forked portion of said lock member and causing said lockmember to oscillate, a locking device adapted to hold said lock memberagainst oscillation in the position in which said forked portion engagessaid anchor pin and prevents said arbor from rotating, a hand settingmechanism having a sliding stem adapted to cause said locking device tohold said lock member against oscillation, a cam mounted in frictionalcontact on said arbor and carrying a stud coacting with said resilientwire and causing the latter to temporarily close and open said electriccircuit, the angular setting of said cam being so selected that thecontact between said stud and said resilient wire is discontinued whensaid locking device holds said lock member in the position in which itprevents said arbor from rotating.

2. An electric watch according to claim 1, wherein the relativearrangement of said drive pin and said anchor pin is such that theyengage said drive wheel and said lock member simultaneously.

3. Electric watch according to claim 1, wherein said lock member isformed with a first notch designed for cooperating with said lockingdevice.

4. An electric watch according to claim 3, further comprising a fixedmagnetic pin straddled by said lock member, and wherein said lock memberis also provided with a second notch having its side edges disposed oneither side of said magnetic pin, whereby, when said lock member is notdriven by said balance wheel, it engages said magnetic pin with one orthe other side edge of said second notch.

5. An electric watch according to claim 1, wherein said locking deviceincludes a swinging lever movable to and from its operative positionunder the control of said hand setting mechanism and carrying at one enda finger engageable in the aforesaid first notch and holding said lockmember in the position in which said forked portion engages said anchorpin, as well as a return spring for said swinging lever and urging sameto its operative position in which it holds said lock member againstmovement.

6. An electric Watch according to claim 5, wherein said hand settingmechanism includes a sliding stem and wherein said swinging levercarries on its opposite end a heel portion which engages the inner endof said sliding stem and keeps said swinging lever in the position inwhich it releases said lock member.

7. An electric watch according to claim 5, wherein said first notch isso shaped that when said sliding stem and said swinging lever arerestored to their initial position, said finger escapes from said notchand causes said lock member to rotate and thus to re-start saidbalancewheel through said anchor pin.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LEO SMILQW,Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH P. STRIZAK, Examiner.

1. AN ELECTRIC WATCH COMPRISING INDICATOR HANDS AND A WHEEL WORK FORDRIVING SAID HANDS, A DRIVE WHEEL HAVING A PINION FOR DRIVING SAID WHEELWORK, AN ELECTROMAGNETIC COIL WINDING, A BATTERY, AN ELECTRIC CIRCUITFED BY SAID BATTERY AND ENERGIZING SAID COIL WINDING, A RESILIENTCONTACT WIRE IN SAID ELECTRIC CIRCUIT, A HAIRSPRING BALANCE WHEELMOUNTED ON A ROTATABLE ARBOR, A FREELY OSCILLATING FLAT LOCK MEMBER FORLIMITING THE AMPLITUDE OF OSCILLATION OF SAID BALANCE WHEEL, SAID LOCKMEMBER HAVING A FORKED PORTION, A DISC SECURED ON SAID ARBOR, SAID DISCCARRYING A DRIVE PIN FOR DRIVING SAID DRIVE WHEEL AND AN ANCHOR OINENGAGING SAID FORKED PORTION OF SAID LOCK MEMBER AND CAUSING SAID LOCKMEMBER TO OSCILLATE, A LOCKING DEVICE ADAPTED TO HOLD SAID LOCK MEMBERAGAINST OSCILLATION IN THE POSITION IN WHICH SAID FORKED PORTION ENGAGESSAID ANCHOR PIN AND PREVENTS SAID ARBOR FROM ROTATING, A HAND SETTINGMECHANISM HAVING A SLIDING STEM ADAPTED TO CAUSE SAID LOCKING DEVICE TOHOLD SAID LOCK MEMBER AGAINST OSCILLATION, A CAM MOUNTED IN FRICTIONALCONTACT ON SAID ARBOR AND CARRYING A STUD COACTING WITH SAID RESILIENTWIRE AND CAUSING THE LATTER TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE AND OPEN SAID ELECTRICCIRCUIT, THE ANGULAR SETTING OF SAID CAM BEING SO SELECTED THAT THECONTACT BETWEEN SAID STUD AND SAID RESILIENT WIRE IS DISCONTINUED WHENSAID LOCKING DEVICE HOLDS SAID LOCK MEMBER IN THE POSITION IN WHICH ITPREVENTS SAID ARBOR FROM ROTATING.